1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a device and method for handling event messages using Internet technology.
2. Description of the Related Art
Network management systems, particularly telecommunications management networks (TMN), allow operation and maintenance (OandM) of hardware, software and services in the networks for operators of private or public networks.
The problems addressed by the present invention are presented below with respect to a largely standardized TMN system architecture (see, for example, ITU-T, Recommendation M.3010), generally designated as reference numeral 10.
FIG. 1 shows the TMN system architecture 10 in an overview. A fundamental operating sequence can be described as follows:
1. An operator at an operating station or work station 12 (xe2x80x9cWSxe2x80x9d), e.g., a PC, of the TMN system 10 starts an operating task.
2. The operator authorizes himself relative to an operations system 14 (xe2x80x9cOSxe2x80x9d) of the TMN system 10 and inputs one or more operation and maintenance (xe2x80x9cOandMxe2x80x9d) commands in the framework of an OandM task.
3. These OandM commands are interpreted by the OS 14 and are forwarded to the appertaining devices in the network, such as network element 16 (xe2x80x9cNExe2x80x9d), following a potentially required format conversion, for example, through a Data Communications Network 18 (xe2x80x9cDCNxe2x80x9d).
4. At least one NE 16 implements the OandM commands, i.e., undertake corresponding changes in their configuration or make requested data available. The at least one NE 16 communicates the results to the OS 14 which in turn informs the operator.
The explained, basic executive sequence is well documented in standards and numerous publications. The interaction between components in the TMN system 10 may involve standard TMN interfaces 20.
In addition to this control sequence, a number of specific events can occur in a TMN system that affect operation and maintenance in the network:
An outage of telecommunications devices, such as exchanges or individual components, lines, signaling equipment, etc. These outages have different effects: from the outage of vital network functions which must be immediately corrected, to slight deteriorations in network functions whose elimination is not time-critical.
Interventions of operating personnel on site, such as the deactivation of equipment in the network for maintenance purposes.
Automatic blocking/disconnecting of individual equipment in the network, for example due to overload conditions that might require a blocking of individual traffic relationships.
Devices equipped for handling such events in the network, for example exchanges, report these events in the form of what are referred to as event messages to the appertaining OS 14, which in turn informs the operating personnel. The fundamental executive sequence is defined by the standardization bodies for TMN-conforming systems.
The TMN concept of the standardization bodies has the following disadvantages in practice:
TMN system 10 is decoupled from the technical main stream (open, distributed systems).
TMN system 10 is only theoretically capable of supporting multi-vendor equipment, since the complete standardization of the TMN interfaces is not possible in practice.
TMN system 10 is difficult to integrate into an existing network infrastructure.
TMN system 10 is inflexible and difficult to customize to individual operator requirements and OandM sequences.
Internet technology, particularly worldwide web technology (WWW browsers and servers, WWW standards, particularly HTML and HTTP), is viewed as means for overcoming these disadvantages. The application of Internet technology to the TMN concept is still in its infancy but is encountering increasing attention. The reasons for this are:
Internet technology is adaptable to future developments. It represents the outright innovation field in telecommunication. All critical organizations and companies are engaged in this arena. Numerous products either exist or will soon be available.
Internet technology is successful in the marketplace. It is available on different hardware and software platforms. Accessing Internet technology is easy to learn and widely available. Internet technology is thus generally accepted on the basis of ease of entry.
Internet technology facilitates inter-operability between networks of different technologies and organizations. It is based on pragmatic, practice-proven, and generally available standards.
The employment of Internet technology for the control operation sequence in TMN system 10, for example, for the input of operation commands from WS 12 via OS 14 into NE 16 (see FIG. 1), has been investigated by a number of organizations (e.g., Microsoft/Vertel and IBM) and can be considered as having been fundamentally clarified.
The use of Internet technology for handling event messages, by contrast, is largely open.
The present invention is based on the object of specifying an apparatus and a method for handling event messages in a network management system.